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“Yeah. All good. Just got off the phone with Bree about next week and the meeting with the Walkers,” Ryan said.
Fianna didn’t want to talk about the dreaded family reunion at the farm with her half-siblings. She picked up the container with the chicken, but Shauni took it from her hands.
“Let me warm this up for you, darlin’.”
Ryan widened his eyes and tilted his head, trying to convey to Fianna that she needed to intercept the chicken before his mother would ruin their food. It wouldn’t be the first time Shauni would put fire to their reheated food.
“I’ll do it. Go on, have a seat,” Fianna said to Shauni while reclaiming the chicken.
“Hmm. I’m not that bad, you guys. But I must say that I’m dead on my feet, so I will not argue with you.”
“What’s happening in the vegetable garden?” Fianna asked, while putting the chicken into the skillet.
“Emmy told me the cauliflower was ready, so I got those out this morning. And a few of the cabbage just to see what they would do. I’m sure Emmy will have some use for those,” Mae said.
Fianna nodded as she stirred the chicken. Mae held still beside her and said, “How are you holding up?”
Mae knew all about the ins and outs of what had happened with her father, Rob Walker, and his secrets. She knew she couldn’t fool her by talking around the sore topic of this pending family reunion with her half-siblings.
“All good. Nothing new.”
“Okay. Just wanted to check on you. It’ll be a big day for you and your sisters. It’s not every day you’ll meet your three half-brothers and two half-sisters for the first time…”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Mae sharing a look with her mother, Shauni.
“What?” Fianna said as she narrowed her eyes at her friend.
Mae took a bite out of a piece of carrot she’d nabbed out of the salad bowl on the counter. “Nothing.”
“I know you two. Just spit it out and get it off your chests,” Fianna said as she clanked the spatula on the kitchen counter, glaring at Mae and her mother, Shauni.
Shauni had everyone’s best interest at heart. There was a time in her life where Shauni had taken Fianna under her wing and had given her much needed motherly love and affection—all the things that were missing at home. Whenever Shauni had a word to say, Fianna listened.
“We’re all hoping that you’ll give your siblings a chance,” Shauni said.
“I’m going to this shindig, so yeah, I’ll give it a shot.”
Mae rolled her eyes. “You know what we mean. We all love you to death. You know that. But you can be a bit…”
“What?” Fianna took in Shauni and Mae, both seeming to wait for the other to tell Fianna how difficult she could be. Fianna already knew this. She could fill in the rest of Mae’s sentence.
Ryan surprised them all by speaking his mind. “Like you’re up on your high horse. We’ve all heard about you and Ro kissing at the hospital. You never once mentioned it. You’re just one tough nut to crack. That’s all.”
His words didn’t surprise her. She knew her faults. And she was secure enough to say that the Moore family all loved her despite her faults.
“If Fi doesn’t want to tell us about Ro, then she will,” Shauni defended Fianna.
She smiled at Shauni who instantly added, “But I agree with my son that you need to open up more, Fi. At least give your siblings a chance.”
“This is what I know,” Fianna counted on her fingers, “I know Caitriona. I’ve seen her around the dojo. Terrible brat with a foul mouth.”
She added another finger, “I’ve seen her twin sister once at the dojo, and Nora didn’t say a word to me.”
Mae held up her hand and interrupted, “Maybe she’s just shy.”
Poor thing she was, if Nora was that shy and had to stand in Catriona’s shadow all the time. But she refrained from commenting and added a third finger, “Then there’s Devlin. He’s a hardened criminal in the Iron Vikings MC for crying out loud.”
She’d heard as much from Bree who’d heard this from Ryleigh.
